Third bridge over Gangadhar at GolakganjCorrespondent GAURIPUR, June 16 - After prolonged agitation and demand of the people of Golakganj, the third bridge over the Gangadhar river connecting Golakganj and Lakshmimari is expected to be constructed within a short span of time, stated Debashish Sengupta, convener of the bridge demand committee. He added that an amount of Rs 71 crore has also been sanctioned.

It may be mentioned here that the rail-cum-road bridge opened in 1901 by the then British Government was the only connecting bridge over the Gangadhar river for the people of the border villages of Golakganj and Agomani circles. But in the flood of 1973, the approach road on the eastern bank was washed away and, as a result, the British-made bridge has been in a hanging state till date. The NH-31 was diverted from Golakganj town and a road bridge over the river was constructed 5 km from the town in 1996.

A railway footbridge was constructed by the Railway department in 2010 for the extension of the railway line from Mainaguri (West Bengal) to Jogighopa (Assam) and train services were also commissioned. But lakhs of people in the border villages of Lakshmimari, Kanuri, Biskhowa, Sonahat, Gaikhowa, Nalia, Kedar, Bhogdanga, Berbhangi, Salamdanga, Binnachara and Dimakuri have remained cut off. International Trade Centres have also been established at Lakhsmimari and Sonahat.

The people of the border villages hailed the news of construction of the third bridge over the Gangadhar river and hoped that it would be completed within a very short time. They also urged the newly-elected MLA, Aswini Kumar Ray Sarkar, to expedite the construction of the bridge.